Pond Life, a British drama about carp fishing, to hit cinemas

A British film about a group of youngsters going carp fishing will be released in cinemas next month.

Pond Life is set in an ex-mining village outside Doncaster in 1994 and stars a clutch of young British actors.

It also features recognisible faces like Julie Hesmondhalgh (Hayley Cropper in CoronationStreet), Shaun Dooley (Broadchurch, Gunpowder) and Siobhan Finneran (Benidorm).

Original music is provided by Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley.

The film follows a group of five young people as they head to the local pond for a nightfishing trip in search of Nessie, a giant carp that has pulled an angler’s rod in.

Trevor (Tom Varey) leads a gang of youngsters to the local pond in search of ‘Nessie’

The gang is led by experienced fisherman Trevor (played by Game of Thrones’ Tom Varey), who gathers enough kit for the youngsters to fish alongside him.

Having debuted at last year’s Leeds International Film Festival, Pond Life will be released in cinemas on April 26.

Writer Richard Cameron said: “The idea for Pond Life came from the summer I ran an activities summer school for special-needs teenagers. It was exhausting.

“To relax, I’d go fishing – sometimes back to the pond near where I grew up in Doncaster, next to an ex-pit village.

Fishing scenes were shot at Ravenfield Ponds, between Doncaster and Rotherham

“I started to think about a young girl with special needs being looked after by a young man on the dole, taking her fishing.

“Often stories get told of monster carp in these ponds – always the one that got away – so I decided I needed the legend of a monster carp and an all-night fishing expedition, with a gang of youngsters.

“These kids make their own magic, in a place where life is tough, where the life and soul of the community – the pit – has gone.”

The monster carp, Nessie, is glimpsed early in the film

Originally written and toured as a play, Pond Life has been brought to the big screen by Open Palm Films.

It was filmed in and around Edlington, Doncaster, and the fishing scenes were shot at Phoenix and Parkgate Angling Club’s Ravenfield Ponds.

The Rod and Reel Angling shop in Bawtry also features, while carp coach Ian Gemson was one of the film’s angling consultants, alongside Kurt Thorpe.

Carpfeed has been given an advance screening of the film and will publish a full review nearer its release date.